Some Hearts
by Dark Goddess1
Summary: GouGou Sentai Boukenger The Next Generation based fic and set in the same AU as StarCrossed Lovers.  Much like her best friend tried to resist the affections of Satoru, Rin fights to keep herself from giving in to the kind, handsome Souta and her demons


25/06/2007 02:08:00

Title: "Some Hearts"

Fandom: GouGou Sentai Boukenger: The Next Generation/GouGou Sentai Boukenger

Author: Trinity

Pairing: Mogami Souta/Inou Rin

Rating: PG-13

Author's Note: Set in the same AU to Boukenger: The Next Generation as "Star-Crossed Lovers"

Summary: Much like her best friend tried to resist the affections of Satoru, Rin fights to keep from giving in to the kind, handsome Souta (and to fight back her personal demons)

Inou Belle, known also as "Rin", had been stuck in the past with her fellow New Generation Boukengers for a week and she was actually enjoying herself. She loved seeing her parents (even if they didn't know who she was yet, for they were under strict instructions from Kei not to reveal their last names or any details about their families) young and obviously falling in love. Mamiya Natsuki had Inou Masumi wrapped around her finger and his love for her was very clear. It was amusing. She and her Boukenger team, forbidden from using their own AccellSuits, still helped the older Boukengers find and locate Precious, a job that became more difficult after Takaoka Kei and Akashi Satoru left for the mountains in search of the older Takaoka Eiji.

Rin just had one problem: Mogami Souta, who had taken a liking to her. Rin was never interested much in the male of the species. Her experiences with boys were always negative experiences she'd rather forget and she was in no rush to get a boyfriend.

That didn't stop Souta from flirting with her and trying to use his charm on her. She was flattered, but disinterested. Souta was handsome, very much so, and so kind to her, but she was wary. What if it was all an act and then he humiliated her? Those sorts of things worried her. They reminded her of how she was treated by other students while she was in school… which was why she left and became a Boukenger.

Rin's sister, Inou Hikari, was tired of watching Rin dance around the fact that she was lonely without Kei around and sick of watching her turn down a perfectly good man, so one evening, after Rin had turned Souta down for the millionth time, Hikari took her big sister aside.

"Nee-chan, please, just go out and have ramen with him!" Hikari murmured as they stood out in the hallway near their sleeping quarters. "I know he's annoying you, but that's only because he LIKES you!"

"I'm not interested."

"Nee-chan, you ARE interested, you're just scared." Hikari replied, trying to be reasonable. "Please, I'm BEGGING you, go out with him, even if it is just once. How bad could it be?"

"I don't date." Rin replied, coolly.

"Nee-chan, please, DATE THE MAN!"

"Why?"

"Because he'll make you happy, or at the least, show you a good time." Hikari, tugged on her sister's arm a little. "Nee-chan, if anyone deserves to have some happiness, it's you. Please?"

Rin sighed. "Oh all right! If it will shut you up!"

Hikari smiled and ran off to get Souta and tell him the good news, while Rin went into her bedroom to freshen up a little. If she was going to be forced into a date with Souta, she might as well look good.

Suddenly, there was a knock at Rin's door as she carefully applied lipstick. "Come in…"

Mogami Souta's handsome face peeked into the room and then he entered. "Hello, Rin-chan."

"You can turn off the charm, Souta-sensei." She said as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. "I'm immune."

Souta produced a bottle of sake and some cups. "You can't be all that immune. Come, drink with me…. unless of course…."

"I'm 23." Rin replied. "And if it will get you to leave me be…fine, a cup of sake and then, you have to leave."

"Fine." Souta agreed, pouring some of the sake into one of the cups and handing it to her. "Here you are, Rin-chan."

She gave him a funny look over her cup and drank. "Good stuff." She remarked.

"Yes, it's a good vintage." Souta smiled at her. "Why are you so unhappy?"

"What?"

"Well, whenever I see you, Rin-chan, you're always unhappy. Why is that?"

She gave him a piercing stare with her dark eyes and Souta was immediately intrigued. She was beautiful, but it seemed to be a tragic beauty.

"You don't have to be nice to me. You can treat me the same way the others treat me…with loathing, and hatred and disgust. Those others, except for Kei-chan and my Hikari…I don't trust them. I don't trust people I don't know…so stop it! Stop trying to be nice to me. It's all an act."

Rin took a swig from the bottle and tried to shut out the taunts of the children on the playground from her childhood…the bad memories, the lies, the betrayals, and the hate. She wanted Souta to leave. She had a feeling that he was just there because he pitied her. She needed no pity…and she certainly didn't need him. "There…I had a cup of sake and now, you can leave."

Souta was surprised. "Okay, then, Rin-chan." He took his cup and headed for the door. He looked back at her. "You should smile more. I bet you have a lovely smile."

"You don't know anything, now leave."

"Is that how you treat the people around you? With hatred and contempt? Is that anyway for Natsuki-chan's daughter to behave?"

Rin's jaw dropped. "How did you…"

"You have your mother's eyes…and when you do smile, her warm smile."

Rin turned away from him. "Stop lying…just tell me the truth, that I'm ugly and stupid and scrawny and a complete joke!"

It clicked in Souta's head. "Is that how people treat you?"

"Of course. When I was a child, I was the laughingstock of my whole school because I was tall, skinny, and shy and they took an almost sick pleasure in torturing me. No one was ever nice to me except Kei and she was my best friend. She didn't humiliate me. So, that's how I know that your kindness, Mogami Souta-sama, is all an act!" She gritted her teeth. "NOW GET OUT!"

Souta looked hurt. "So much anger, Rin-chan. How can you expect anyone to love you?"

"I don't. I'm going to be alone and I've accepted that." She sat down on her bed. "I have no regrets."

"And when you drive Kei and your sister away?"

"I won't care."

"You really want to be alone?"

"Better than being hurt every single day of your existence!"

Souta just looked at her. "So, you'd rather have no one than risk that?"

Rin bit her lip. The idea of being alone with no one while her little sister got married, had children and her own family didn't appeal to her, but she had been hurt so much that it was better than risking it again. She gave Souta an odd look. "Do you really like me, Souta-sensei?"

"Well, yes, I do." He said. "I didn't mean to annoy you, but I was really trying to get your attention."

She was floored and then she gave him a shy, tiny smile.

"Now, I see the Natsuki-chan in you." Souta smiled. "You really do have her smile."

"Now, there's a first. People usually say I look more like my dad than my mom." Rin placed down the bottle of sake and looked at Souta. "How did you figure out that Mamiya Natsuki was my mom anyway…and looks don't count."

Souta pointed to her bracelet, which looked like the one Natsuki wore. "That and I overheard you refer to Natsuki-chan as 'Mama' when you were talking with Hikari-chan earlier. I kind of put the pieces together from there."

Rin looked at the bracelet. "Mama had these made for Hikari and me when we were young. She wears one, too…it was her only clue. She even wore it when she married my father. She said that it was what made us a family…and what kept her with my Dad for so long." She smiled. "Mama told me once that she would never love anyone quite the way she loved Dad…because Dad was the first person she saw and for a long time…. her only family." The second BoukenBlack sighed. "When Mama talks about Dad like that, I wish someone would love me that way."

Souta had a sneaking suspicion as to the identity of Natsuki's future husband and Rin's father, but he had overheard Kei giving her team strict instructions about not revealing anything about themselves or their families, so he decided not to ask.

Rin looked at him. "Mama's so lucky…I wish I had someone like Dad. But…no one will ever love me that way. I mean…look at me. Who could ever learn to love me?"

Souta moved towards her and wiped a tear from her eye. "I could." He smiled. "Because, I think you're beautiful in more ways than one."

Rin looked wide-eyed at him and then she gently pushed his hand away. Kei had warned them about affairs with people in 2006…how it could lead to dangerous consequences. But, Souta had been so kind to her and it was all so genuine. He really did seem to like her.

Dating him surely couldn't hurt, could it?

Souta kissed her hand gently.

Rin wasn't sure if she'd ever find someone like him ever again, but she didn't want to mess anything up. She blushed at his kiss and his warm, wonderful smile.

She looked into her heart for a moment and wondered if it was worth it just to know what it felt like to care for someone and have someone care back. She'd never get an opportunity like this again…right? She looked at Souta and smiled back, her eyes shining.

Souta pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply and Rin felt like she'd grown wings and flown.

"Oh, Souta-sensei…" She murmured, feeling like one of those Bond girls who cooed "Oh, James…" whenever they gave into the super-spy's charms. Souta chuckled.

"Souta." He corrected embracing her and moving backwards towards the bed. "Just…Souta."

"Okay…" She giggled. "Souta…"

"That's my girl," He murmured as they fell backwards on the bed and the lights went out.


End file.
